THINK ETERNITY=MC2

by hannibal 6 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  hannibal

  " ever so gingerly, science has been backing away from its case-closed attitude toward the transcendent unknown. Confrences that bring together theologians and physicists are hot,recently taking place to harvard, the smithsonian, and other big deal institutions. The american association for the advancement of science now sponcers a 'dialogue on science, ethics, and religion'. Science luminaries who in the 70.s shrugged at faith as gobbledgook- including E.O. Wilson and in the late Stephen Jay Gould and Carl Sagan-have endorsed some form of reconciliation between science and religion.

  Why the renewed scientific interest in spiritual thinking?One reason is the cyclical nature of intellactual fashions. In philosophy, metaphysics is making a comeback after decades rules by postivism and analytical theory of language. These restrained, empirically based ideas have run there course; now the pendulum is swinging toward the grand vision of metaphysics-someday, surely, to swing away again. Similarly in science, the pure materialistic view that reigned through the 20th century,holding that everything has a natural explanation,couldnt keep other viewpoints at bay forever. The age-old notion that there is more to existence than meets the eye suddenly looks like fresh thinking again.

  Meanwhile, decades of inconclusive inquiry have left the scince-has-all-the-answers script in tatters.As recently as the 70s, intellectuals assumed that hard science was on track to resolve the two Really big questions: why life exists and how the universe began. Whats more, both really big answers were assumed to involve strictly deterministic forces. But things have'nt worked out that way. Instead, the more scientists have learned, the more mysterious the really big questions have become."

  This Is a small part of a four part cover story on the latest WIRED mag.(DEC 2002) cover intitled 'special report- science+religion' The four articals come from four differant sperpectives, I thought it was in excelt read, and would recomend it if you get a chance.
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  MYOHNSEPH

  A shortcoming common to both scientists and theologians, in my opinion, is that they each present their perceptions as dogma and endeavor to set sacred boundaries for truth, based on that dogma, based on those perceptions. In doing so, they become polarized in their different fields of thought, fenced in by their own precepts and the categorical exclusion of any concept originating in the enemy camp. If there's one thing the human race should have learned by now, it's the fact that we've got a hell of a lot to learn and it's not wise to be too cocky about the little cache of knowledge we've managed to accumulate thus far. An open mind to an opposing point of view can sometimes prove to be the doorway to great insight.

  But, that's just me!
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  onacruse

  Morris Cohen (Reason And Nature, Dover, 1931) captured some of this flux when he observed in 1911 (p. 206):

  "From the days of Aristotle to those of Descartes and Kant the fundamental questions of physics supplied much of the stimulus and substance of philosophical reflection...But the discovery of radioactivity, the experimental work which has led to the opening up of the world within the atom and to non-Newtonian physics, the Einstein theory of relativity, and the newer quantum mechanics have aroused great popular interest which philosophers can no longer ignore...it is hazardous to accept the 'results' of a science unless we know how much unconscious, but none the less antiquated, metaphysics has entered into their make-up."

  German scientists called this their Weltanschauung (world-view). For example, Liebniz and Newton, co-discoverers of the calculus, had prolonged and heated arguments about what the calculus meant philosophically and theologically in terms of universal determinism.

  Science, philosophy and metaphysics are paternal triplets.

  Craig
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  hannibal

  Myohnseph,

  'an open mind to an opposing point of veiw can sometimes prove to be the doorway to great insight'

  - nicely put
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  donkey

  'an open mind to an opposing point of veiw can sometimes prove to be the doorway to great insight'

  On social graces I can buy that line but on the stuff like God/eternity etc it's a cry baby attitude of someone who is mad cause other people are ignoring them - IMO.

  Examine the evidence, think rationally and if the other point of view is based on nothingness but touch-feely stuff run like hell!!!

  Edited by - donkey on 21 December 2002 19:31:25
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  hannibal

  I'm running Donkey, fast!
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  MYOHNSEPH

  "On social graces I can buy that line but on the stuff like God/eternity etc it's a cry baby attitude of someone who is mad cause other people are ignoring them - IMO."

  Hmmmm.... This might take some time. (Closes eyes and scratches head.) Think rationally, dammit! Think rationally! I know I can figure out what the hell this guys talking about, if I just manage to think rationally!